[See page image]
Page 4
Revelation THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG 4
retiring what resembles oracle (Uiim and Thummin; q.v.), and by the prophets God now speaks directly to the people. Thus the word coming from God takes its authoritative place. In the immediate pre-Christian period, under the impression that prophecy has been silenced, apocalyptic revelation takes its place. Instead of continuous intercourse with God there arises tradition with the dogma of sacred Scripture and its inspiration, more and more extraordinary, in representation. Dependence upon Hellenism introduced the allegorical method of interpretation. This dogma of Old-Testament Scripture was carried over for the estimation and treatment of the New, with two points of difference. First, the Jewish representation dealt with reflection upon events in the past; the New arose under the sense of a living intercourse with God. Second, and more significant, Judaism directs its inquiry to the transcendent God who controls the world; the New Testament realizes more intimately than in olden time the relation with God, and this through the presence of the Holy Spirit. In the fellowship of the risen Christ all are in the most direct communion, as were the prophets. This assurance is dependent on the knowledge of the person of him who was sent by the only true God (John xvii. 3). Jesus is more than prophet; he not only speaks the word of God, but this was made a human person in him, manifesting the invisible God. What this person represents historically, is transmitted and interpreted by the Spirit of God and Christ in the hearts of believers. In this Christ are all the treasures of wisdom but not their acquirement, for redemption is the instrumental good.
Two elements, more distinct in thought than in life, are contained in the New-Testament idea of the Spirit of Christ in Christianity: the distinctive significance of the historical fact named Christ; and the immediate contact of every Christian with God through his Spirit. The conception of 3. Dogmatic the former is identified with the re-
History. ceived account of it, and subsequently with the Bible. With the completion of the double canon of Scripture, the other element, conscious possession, either had to lose itself in the confirmation of crystallizing tradition, or aim to sustain its independence by new productivity, which it did in Montanism (q.v.) and Ecstasy (q.v.), or in eclectic Biblieism or mysticism. In the next place, the Church in awe of traditionalism fell a victim to the confusion of dogma and revelation. This, to gether with the native equipment and training of the Greek theologians, resulted in positing the op eration of revelation as the advancement of knowl edge, and the validity of such knowledge was to be deduced from the idea of the supernatural mode of transmission. In support was adduced, in depend ence upon Scripture, the proof of the Spirit and power evidenced by the accordance of prophecy with fulfilment and by miracle. This resulted, in the course of the Middle Ages, in the problem of the relation of the reason to the materials of traditional thought (see sCIIOLAWTICIBM). Previously an Ob servation of far-reaching consequence comes into view. The mission to the Greeks was fond of fall ing back upon the philosophic and popular mono-theism for a basis of connection, and for a counterpart to revelation. This gave rise to the assumption of a revelation in all religions, even in the ethical, and the claim was made for these remnants or rays of light, in behalf of the revealer or Logos. The Reformation planting itself on the Bible destroyed irremediably the assurance that church doctrine and revelation coincide. Protestant orthodoxy in the interest of dogmatism followed with the reenforcing dogma of the inspiration of an infallible text. The strain of attack drew out, on the part of reason, the theory of an original revelation, of the innate ideas, and of the two books of nature and conscience. The period of the Enlightenment (q.v.) brought forth the idea of a supernatural instruction as a supplement to a rational foundation given in and with creation. A philosophic followed by a literary criticism demolished the dogma of a miraculously constructed text. The supernatural instruction was said either to be substantially corroborated by reason (Wolff), or to be a temporary
episode until rational knowledge was ripe and self-sufficient (Semler, Leasing). Finally, the possibil ity itself of such a revelation comes to be challenged (Reimarus), and ordinary rationalism presumes, on the basis of deism, to have done with revelation as superfluous, impossible, and unreal. Meanwhile, earnest treatment of Scripture turns from the valid ity of dogma to the unity of Biblical history. Ro manticism (q.v.) instilled a reaction as to the value and origin of religion. The mystical infusion is not to be disregarded after Schleiermacher. To this influence of psychological and anthropological em piricism only one more point of view has been added, which may be termed ethnological empiricism. Under its banner, Comparative Religion (q.v.) is prosecuted, which is a statistic of religions with ret rospect of their origin and growth, which again in respect of the study of the sources is denominated history of religion, and on the basis of the evolu tionary hypothesis is elaborated into a philosophy of religion.During the long period of orthodox thought the concept of revelation served to insure an otherwise inaccessible content. To remain certain that this
was received intact, the representation 4. Modern of the communication was wrought out Method. without regard to the facts of historical
and individual personal life. Ecstasy as the intermission of personal life is valid in the strictest sense, and miracle as interruption is a
mark for the recognition of revelation, particularly in rationalistic supernaturalism (see RATIONALISM AND SUPERNATURALISM), at the risk of losing a content, however, otherwise inaccessible. In straining
the point of the mode, the content was neglected, with which, however, revelation originally started out. The resulting modern movement has, in all its variations, the observation of the human phenomenal form of revelation in the forefront. The problem presents itself in the relation of human autonomy to divine operation, and further in tense ethical subjectivism. This is most evident in the consideration of prophecy. The matter of content, however, readily recedes into the background, while the problem becomes epistemological because